Kia ora
by Seryn
Summary: -Kaiora- She doesn't remember where it's from, but it means hi, thank you, and goodbye; all at the same time...


_KH is not mine._**  
**

**KIA ORA**

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

She doesn't remember where it's from, but she thinks it means hi and thank you and goodbye, all at the same time.

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

_**Hi **_**  
**

Kairi leans back, hair washing out behind her, eyes soft in memories. Sora is running forever, running in her memories, running towards her; eyes bright and clear as usual, innocence clean and fresh. Fresh, simple, and clean - running towards her, running to tell her something about Riku, something that will change her day.

It's so simple - Sora is watching her, his eyes never wavering from their steady gaze. It never changes from her eyes, though she doesn't know what he finds so attractive about them - they're just eyes. He's smiling, a smile that never changes no matter how old they get (puppy-dog at four, innocent at nine, slightly perverted but still bright at fourteen) and his hair is bobbing up and down.

She can remember that day well - there was just a faint of cloud over the horizon, just a breeze of warmth over her skin, and she is up in a tree swinging her legs as he runs up to her.

What with his eyes being locked on her, she doubts he ever saw the rock in his path.

He falls and her gasp of shock is quickly muted as he rolls over onto his back and he's bleeding from the scratches on his face. She drops to the ground, not caring about the jarring the impact gives her teeth, and then she's running over to him, running just as fast as he did before; sinking to her knees beside him and shaking him to wake up.

He never changes expression, even when she leans over him and drapes her hair over his nose, knowing that that usually wakes him up because the hair tickles him, but he doesn't move and she's scared ("Sora, Sora, wake up, I can't lose you now,"). Then she tickles him in all the spots he's the most ticklish in (because she found out, yes, why do you ask) and he doesn't even twitch, and she's so scared now she leans over and kisses him (half because she remembers all the 'Sleeping Beauty' tales and thinks, what would happen, and half because he needs air, he's not breathing) and then he chokes and his eyes open and they're the most beautiful thing she's ever seen because he's alive, and then he's smiling under her lips and she blushes and takes them away.

And the only thing he says to her, cheeks red with embarassment, is "Hi."

**_Thanks _  
**

The island is dark and she's not asleep. The waves are tugging at the shore, and she knows that Sora's out on some island, most likely awake because she knows him that well. She gets out her boat (hand soft and smooth but rough with experience) and rows her way over to where Sora's most likely to be.

Surprise, surprise, he's there: but she expects him to be, swinging his legs where he sits on a ledge overlooking the sea. He's just a dark speck on the end of that horizon, a dark figure on the edge of the crag; but she's scrambling up behind him, lithe and ready, stumbling up the rocks while trying to make as little noise as possible so she won't interrupt his concentration.

She's standing behind him, tall and slender where he's sitting on the ground, watching the starry sky.

"Kairi."

She's still; stiller, if that were possible. She doesn't want to interrupt anything, but he's so sincere, she takes a step forward towards him.

"Kairi."

His voice is longing, and she's drawn to him even closer, her feet making as little noise as possible still even though he's most likely calling her now.

"Kairi..."

His voice is despairing, almost shouted from the cliff, and he draws his legs up from the ledge; buries his head between his knees, wraps his arms around his knees and rocks, and cries, his sobs shaking his shoulders.

She's not sure whether he knows she's there; doesn't seem like it, but he could be acting maybe. Maybe, maybe, but she doesn't think so, his tears are pooling around his feet and there's a worn patch under where he's sitting, like he's been doing this every night for a long time.

"Don't leave me, don't ever leave me... I wouldn't leave you, ever..."

His voice is pleading, and her heart twinges; she can't bear to see him like this, all broken and torn - and to know that it's over her or over what he thinks is her - it hurts more than it should. They're just friends, after all - best friends, maybe, but...still. Just friends.

She's just standing there, though, not moving; the moon is sinking towards the east. The sun will be coming up soon, Sora'll get up and find she's been standing there the whole time, and he'll be so embarassed.

She walks closer, her shadow falling across his body while he rocks, lost in himself and repeating those words "Don't leave me, Kairi..." over and over, and she kneels behind him and just holds him; places her head on his shoulder and breathes in his scent, and then she says. "I won't, ever. Just don't...don't leave me."

He's stock-still for a second, then uncoils from his position, getting up, and for a moment she's scared she's offended him; then he drops to his knees (on rocky, uneven ground, ouch that's got to hurt) and wraps his arms around her. She holds him back and they're looking at each other, eyes bright with unshed tears (on both sides) and then they're both crying.

And when the sun rises ("have we been here the whole night through?") and they let go of each other (embrace lasting longer in the clasp of hands) they make their promises to each other and the only thing that Sora says to her is "Thanks."

_**Goodbye**_

He's older now, the hard beacon of being a Keyblade Master shining through him, and Kairi knows she can't keep him here forever. The King might let him stay here, and he might love it here (and dare she think, love staying with her?) but his destiny, like the name of the Islands, lies far beyond her little world, their paradise. The seagulls might be screaming, the waves sashaying against the shore, but it's another day, another trip, another little break of the promise she remembers well; he may have forgotten.

He's standing on the dock now, waving at her for a moment before he turns to take his leave. His baggage are already on the boat; it's just a short trip, he's only clearing up a few lingering Heartless and not a major invasion, so he's not going away forever. She thinks. ...Then again, there's always that chance of the Heartless getting in a lucky shot, and then her Sora, even though she knows he doesn't think of her that way - might just go away and she'd never see him again, not even if she went looking for him.

In a moment, she's crystallized - she knows exactly what she's going to do, and how she's going to do it. She's going to act normal (normal in the sense that it's what she does every time, although it kills her inside, though she'd never admit it, not to Sora) for now, anyway.

She studies him, as she's done countless times before, memorising his every feature and taking one step, two steps closer. She jumps on him, surprising him even though he's not really surprised because she's done this all before and is she deluding herself if she imagines that his arms are tighter around her than usual?

"Kairi, Kairi..." He's soothing her, eyes as bright and clear as when he was younger and he'd tripped and stopped breathing for a while - "It's okay, I'll be back."

And she's hanging onto him, like that day on the crag, except that this time she's not reassuring him that she'll be there for him forever; this time it's the other way round.

At length, they part, reluctantly. There is no captain on the boat - Sora's rowing there himself if the winds aren't right. If the sails don't work properly it'll make him tired when he reaches the other side, and tired people make mistakes, but it was that or leave this morning and Sora, being Sora, wouldn't have had it any other way if it meant he got to spend time with Kairi.

And then, he's drawing away from her and she reaches out to him, their fingers passing over the inside of their arms.

"Goodbye, Kairi."

And then her eyes are filled with tears and she's so paralyzed that he's actually going that she almost misses her chance. Closing her eyes to stop him from seeing her crying, she reaches out and grabs his arm.

"Take me with you."

Sora gives in eventually and then she's on the boat and they both can't believe it's happening. And the sails are full and they're putting out to sea and they're kissing like before except this time there's no blood and now the only thing they say with a dazed smile is Goodbye, Goodbye to the Islands, Goodbye to the sea; and lastly, Goodbye to goodbyes because they're sailing together now and always will be.


End file.
